The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-14
VICT0RlA'S REIGN.
Its Seml-Centenary to be Cele-
brated in June.

NlOlUNlA , NEluN.
Its Seml-Centenary to be Cele-
brated in June.
AT over the world preparations arc
being made for the celebration of the
semi.ccn,cnnial jubilee Of Queen Vic.
,Oria, on the Goth of June next. AS
Webster said, "rhc British drum.beat
follows the course OF the sun round the
world" When Queen Victoria succeeded
10 the throne, Cleveland was in petit
coats, Bayarl was nine years old, Whit
ncy was not born, Blaine was child Of
seven making mudpies. Of eighty.two
members Of the privy council who as.
sembed to hear her take the oath, not
one survives. When she assembled the
throne Louis Philippe was King of
France; Van Buren, had been inaugu-
rated President Of the United States; the
Carlis,s were fighting hammer and tongs
In Spain; the Canadians were In arms
10 secure sclf.govcrnmcnt; Melbourne
and Adelaide were being founded in Aus
,ralia; Austria and Russia were stamp
ing out the last cmbcrs Of Polish free
DOM Prof. Morse was paienting bis
telegraph; the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road was beginning to lay track; ocean
steamers were preparing, under general
dcrision, to cross the Atlantic; Texas
had just declared her independence, and
James Smitllson was cndowing the
Smithsonian Institution. g5. i,sl5t q
Victoria was the daughter of the fourth
son Of George lit. Her father died when
she was six months old. lie had been In
poor circumstances; SO short of money
indeed that he had to borrow from friends
enough to take his wife to England so
that her child should be born on British
soil. When The child was eleven years
old the death of George " made her
lleir.presllmptive. She would not have
succeeded if her uncle William had
married and hal issue; but he was sixty
Tour, and was living with n lady by
whom he had large family. Victoria
was recognized as the heir and was edu-
Gated accordingly 1t is curious to note
that while the child was still In short
clothes the old Duchess of Sake. Coburg
and the King of the Bclgians had already
picked out II husband for her in her
cousin, Albert OF SaXc,Gotla, who was
born three months after her,
William w died shortly after mid
night. Tic ministers of state, who had
been expecting the event, the Archbishop
OF Canterbury and the officers Of the
rrtvy council were promptly summoned;
The archbishop and the three others rode
out to kensngton, where the Duchess of
hens lived. They arrived there at 5 A. NJ.
Not one OF them knew the princess init
mately She had been brought up in
s9ch seelaslon by her prudent mother
mat she Ind never slept out Of her bed
room, had never been alone with any one
MI Inc lncl'eSs or the Baroness Lenzen,
and had no intimate acquaintances or
friends of either sex. The visitors
shocked loudly Mt the palace door,
and demanded to see the princess. They
were told she was asleep. They
declared that they came on bust
ness OF state to tho Queen, and that
she must he walked, and must receive
them, In n few minutes the young lady
OF eighteen made her appearance. She
was IN her nightdrcss, with q shawl
thrown over her shoulders; she had
thrown oil her nightcap and her hair
was loose; her bare feet had been thrust
INTO slippers; ilusl, on her check
showed that she had been sleeping
Sso'lhdly, hut she was perfectly composed.
She well knew what they had come for.
enc made the customary declaration, tho
ior!i chancellor administered the oath,
AM! the young lady stood calm and quiet
while the old ntcn filed one by one before
ler and kissed her hand. When they
retired She went back to her bedroom
aha had u good cry. So began the most
prosperous and, with one or two excep.,
lions, the longest reign in English his.
tory lg5l =, : 10 4 n, {,
After Victoria became Queen, Prince
Albert came 10 England, but the Queen
at first thought they were too young to
marry. Two years later Prince Albert
again came to England.'with the intention
OF telling her that if she could not then
mike up her mind no could no longer
wait for decision" The Queen finally
consented and they were married In lS46,
iiarliamcnt giving him IN allowance Of
Sl'o0oOaycar. The marriage was n happy
one IRON the start to the end. Albert
la'd down for himself two rules, in or
uer 10 silence scandal, which had been
no ME under previous rcigns, and like.
vi wise 10 ohvlatc jealousy on the part of
MS W''c-he would pay no visits and
would so nowhere unattended by an
e4aeriry. This was his rule through life,
ah" IL accomplished Its object No
nfsalli OF scandal ever furnished his rcpu.
ia'ion. ,S 49, - " 4 ~
twenty years ago tho Queen published
y volume containing her diary during
,aef journey to Scotland, and fifteen
years later this was followed by a second
solumc OH the same subject, coming
H;own 10 1852 The books arc interest.
my, because they constitute a forty
E'yaFs diary written by n queen, rcgnant.
!, inc thoughts nre ,riyial, tho obserya.
.ohs lrttc, tho style uncul,urcd; they.
iienect the mind Of Ia commonplace,
h honest, kindly woman, who might have
sest rs much at home rs the wife Of
a ns'a', grocer us tho Queen Of England
"'iM ~, Empress Of India. "A z.
ING Queens life has been divided thus
t INTO three parts her childhood,
. e,sh'eeh years; her. married life, twenty.
"ac years; her sorrowing widowlood,,.
s sM,} years. If, us is possible, she
I pn live TO the age of the. German
Emperor, she would have a fourth period
NJ nos over twenty years of possible useful
,hSn many talk tho lo,ldcst against sin when
de ,S ase walking arm and Sarm with the: